As a teenager in Belgium, Jarane learned all about cheese from the proprietor of his favorite local shop, and the image of that familiar, welcoming place is still as vivid as ever.

“So when I had a chance to open a shop, it was going to be a cheese shop.” And it was: in 2003, Jarane, a former commercial photographer, opened the original Mint. After a successful run, he decided to expand his business and move it across the street. The new Mint Premium Foods, which opened about six months ago, is a cheese shop and restaurant.

As soon as you enter the lofty 2,000-square-foot space, you encounter the heart of Mint, the cheese counter. Jarane’s goal is to introduce his customers to cheeses beyond basic cheddar — cheeses like his personal favorite, Cacio di Bosco al Tartufo, a truffle cheese from Tuscany, or Pickwick Cheddar with Caramelized Onion. “People almost have a heart attack if I’m out of it,” he says.

In addition to cheese, Jarane stocks a wealth of products from all over the world, including charcuterie, balsamic vinegars, honeys, packaged Dutch and Belgian waffles, sauces and passion fruit jam from Israel. You’ll also find olives, vanilla-infused cherries, honey-roasted pecans, and — perhaps most unexpected — licorice in bulk. Mint sells 15 different flavors, including salted, organic, and mint. Soon, the shop will also offer bulk olive oil from three different countries.

The shopping area is earthy and warm — with a red clay tile floor and reclaimed wood shelving — and the products are so haphazardly organized, you can’t help but browse a while, hoping to unearth a surprising and fabulous gourmet discovery.

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The idea of adding a restaurant arose so Jarane could bring items from his shop — especially cheese — to life.

“In the open kitchen, we cook with the items we sell,” he says. “Customers will ask, ‘What did you put in that dish?’ and we show the products to them, so they can make it themselves.” The restaurant’s eclectic international menu currently includes several items starring cheese: potato raclette, baked brie with homemade fig spread, a cheese and charcuterie plate and a potato gratin with sausage (and that’s not even counting the panini!). Other items include a jerk pork panino, seafood jambalaya, and Moroccan chicken with olives. Mint also caters, offering cheese platters, whole meals tailored to customers (rather than off an official catering menu), and you can hire Mint to lead cheese and beer tastings.

The dining room accommodates about 40 people (one table sits 14 and is ideal for celebrations). Amidst the exposed brick walls, wood floor, and large windows from an old barn, customers will instantly feel comfortable — especially if they bring their iPods and play their own music, which Jarane encourages.

“I wanted the dining room to feel like someone’s living room, not like a restaurant,” he says. Even more homey: Jarane doesn’t even have a set closing time. “I close when I close,” he says. “I built my business on my customers. I can’t tell them to leave. So, sometimes I’ll say, ‘When you finish, just close the store, and give me the key when you next see me.”